SNNLive spoke with Franklin Bost, President and CEO of SpherIngenics, Inc. at the Southeastern Medical Device Association (SEMDA) Conference 2013 in Atlanta, GA.

Monday, April 08, 2013

SpherIngenics, Inc.is a biotechnology company developing technology for targeted stem cell delivery system and next generation of medicines: cell-based therapies. ‘Cell-based Therapies’ refers to a variety of different procedures involving the transplantation of processed tissue to replace or repair damaged tissue. SNNLive spoke with Franklin Bost, President and CEO of SpherIngenics, Inc. at theSoutheastern Medical Device Association (SEMDA) Conference 2013 in Atlanta, GA. “SpherIngenics is founded on technology we licensed out of Georgia Tech. Its based on delivery of stem cells. Its enhance the actual effectiveness of stem cell therapy”, Mr. Bost begins.

When asked about the kind of applications they are developing their technology for, he states, “Stem Cell therapies have been around for a while, and they only address about 5% of the market because when you put stem cells in, they are generally are gone within 48 hours. They die or move off to other parts of the body. So what our technology does is actually micro-encapsulate those stem cells into microbeads that are 200 microns or less in size and we put a balance number of beads in there. So what does that mean? That means they are in this nice little capsule where they live and actually get nutrients to them and then they can give off beneficial proteins. The other part of this is being microbeads, they can be placed exactly where the clinician wants them through small-board needles…most stem cells I said are gone within 48 hours. We’ve shown through animal work that these can be 85% effective still past a month of implantation.”

“We don’t develop the stem cells. We use adult stem cells and we hope to partner with companies that have their own stem cell lines to help them make their therapies more efficient and effective,” he explains. Mr. Bost goes on to describe how SpherIngenics’ technology could be most advantageous in the current medical atmosphere, “We’re looking, initially, at cartilage and soft tissue replacement. We’re funded right now for Phase 2 DoD grant for cartilage repair for our wounded warriors, but that cartilage repair could be utilized in the civilian population and it can also be used in tissue repair in a number of different applications. There are some therapeutic applications, such as in cardiology, such in sports medicine, but those are a little further down the road as we acquire more funding to address those areas…we are as I said, not a stem cell company. We’re here to help those people that have stem cell lines, and help their product become more effective.” For more information about SpherIngenics, check out their website. SNNLive welcomes Franklin Bost, President and CEO of SpherIngenics, Inc.